Rotary engine.



No. 727,861 EATENEED MAYlz, 1.903.

` N. s. TAYLOR.y EOTAEY ENGINE.

t APPLICATION I'ILEUMAB. 12, 1902.

b No MODEL. 4 SHEETS-sEET-l..

ma Nonms Parini co, Wam-mm1,WASHINGTON, D. c..

. v u m mi? I Mm m PATENTED MAY l2, 190,3..

Nfs. TAYLGR. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATIONI'ILED MAR. 12, 1902.

No. 727,861. PATBNTBDMAY 12,1903. f N.S.TAYLOR.

vROTARY ENGINE'.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1902.

F0 MODEL.. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 727,861. y l PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

N. S. TAYLOR. l

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION IIILBD MAB. 12. 1902.

M. l 3 c (fbg/.10.

NTTED STATES Patented Mr +12, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.K

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. v727,861, dated May l12, y190e. Application tiled March 12, 1902. Serial No. 97,808. (No model.)

Y To aZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWTON S. TAYLOR, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chi-V cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciication.

My invention relates to that class of rotary engines in which a substantially dat pistonrevolves concentrically in a cylinder or circular casing, from the Wall of which projects an abutment which contacts with the piston for preventing direct passage of steam to the exhaust; and my invention has for its privmary object to provide a simple, inexpensive, highly-efcient, durable, and practically. noiseless rotary engine in -which'the cut-off may be regulated and the steam or other pressure used eXpansively, as in a reciprocating,

engine, a further object being to provide improved means whereby a plurality of pistons on the same shaft, or, in short, a plurality of engines, may be simultaneously subject-ed to the full head of steam for startingV the engine or Workingfitunder an extra load;

With these ends in View my invention consists in certain features of noveltyin the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of myimproved engine, taken.A

on the linel 1, Fig.' 3. Fig. 2 is asimilar section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 3, butshowing the throttle in a dierent position. Fig.

3 is a plan section on the irregular sectionline 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end elevation on a smaller scale; Fig. 5 is a detail View, on a larger scale, ofthe cut-oif valve. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the throttle-valve. Fig. 7is a cross-section of the throttle-valve on the line 7 7, Fig. 6, butV on a larger scale; and Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are respectively similar sections on the lines 8, aL-and 10, Fig. 6.

I have shown my improvements embodied in a double engine; but it will nevertheless be understood that they are equally applica- .-ble to a single engine and to an engine of any other number of pistons. v

1 is the main or piston shaft, which is journaled in suitable bearings and stu'ng-boxes 2 in the end walls 314 of the casing, in which areformed two separate cylinders or pistoncavities 5 6, in which are located, respectively, .the two pistons 7 8, set on the half or at any other desired degree of angle with relation to each other and both rigidly secured to the shaft 1.

The engines are practically duplicates of each other, and hence a description of one will suffice for both, and the reference-numerals applied to the parts of one not already Ydescribed will be correspondinglyused for the ,parts of'theother. f I

Thepiston, as appears in Figs. 1 and 2, is at and revolves in the cylinder on the shaft 1 like a paddle, with its outer edge continually in contact with the wall of the cylinder and provided with packing-bars to prevent the leakage of steam between it and both the :circumferential and en d wall of the cylinder. 'Thesej packing-bars are preferably T-shaped and press voutwardly by means of springs, the object of the T-head being to prevent the bar from being pushed out of its socket. One of these bars is shown at 9, its head being marked 10, and itextends across theouter face of the piston, and 11 12 aretwo others which are arranged at the corners ofthe piston or at the points where the circumference of thepiston is rounded off into the sides of the piston.` The bars are inserted endwise insuitable sockets of complementary shape, and the' springs for pressing them' normally outward are arranged'. in suitable sockets. The springs for the bar 9 are shown at 13, Fig. 3, andtheirsockets are indicated at 14. The springs andtheir sockets for the bars 11 12 are not shown, but are the same in construction as springs 13 and sockets 14. Ex'

outwardly by springs-16, and their inner ends are beveled, as shown at 17, and fitted under beveled packing-rings 18, which surround the shaft 1 and are seated in beveled or funnelshaped sockets in the ends of the piston. These rings are split or divided, as shown at 19, and possess a normal tendency to expand, whereby they keep their outer surfaces or peripheries firmly in contact with their sockets and with the ends of the bars 15 and at the same time pressing their outer faces against the end walls of the cylinder to prevent the escape of steam around the shaft, as well as preventing steam passing over to the advance side of the piston.

2O is a steam-chest supplied with steam or any other pressure through pipe 21, this chest being common to all of the engines and having as many discharge-ports 22 as thereare engines. These ports 22 are adapted to communicate, when not intercepted by a throttle 23, with ports or passages 24 25, two for each engine, and if the engine is to be of a reversible type with two additional or corresponding ports or passages 26 27 on the opposite side of each engine, the ports 24 26 being better shown in Fig. 2, while 25 27 are shown in Fig. 1. Each end is provided with an exhaustport 28, preferably at the lowest point of the cylinder, and with two induction or inlet ports 29 30 on each sideif the engine be of areversible type or on only one side if ot the type which runs in but one direction. The ports 29 are adaptedto communicate with the steampassages 24 26 when not intercepted by cuto valves 31 32, and the ports 30 are in communication with the steam-passages 25 27 via check-valves 33 34, which bend downwardly or away from the passages 25 27 and are held normally to their seats by springs 35 or other suitable means, the purpose of such checks being to prevent pressure passing from the cylinder into the passages 25 27. 36 is the abutment, and if the engine is to be of the reversible type an additional abutment 37 will be employed on the opposite side of the cylinder, the two abutments, however, being similar in construction and operation, one remaining idle while the other operates, according to the direction of rotation of the engine, as is of course understood, and hence a description of one abutment will suffice for both. These ports 29 30, just referred to, open into the cylinder end or behind the abutment, the abutment being recessed into the wall of the cylinder and the outer face of the abutment being curved on the same general curvature as the wall of the cylinder; but for a part of its length it is curved on a sharper curve or arc, as shown at 38, so that as the abutment is struck by the corner of the piston, which, as before stated, is slightly rounded and provided with the packing-bars 11 12, the piston begins to smooth the abutment down into its recess at an earlier point in the travel of the piston and with less concussion than would be the case if the abutment were curved on a larger radius, the effect of the sharper radius being more in the nature of a glancing blow than would result from the wider radius and iiatter surface. The packing-bars 11 also serve as cushions for relieving the shock. As shown in Fig. 1, the ports 30, which are the direct or starting ports, are dropped downwardly under the cut-od valves 31 32; but

.this is merely for the purpose of enabling them to pass said valves. When it is desired to start the engine, the throttle 23 is so turned that one of the passages 39 therein will place the port 22 in communication with the passage 25, as shown in Fig. 1, whereupon steam will pass directly from the steam-chest 20 into the port 30 via check 33, deflecting the abutment 36 over against the piston, and thereby admitting steam directly to the engine without having to pass the cut-olf valve 31. As shown in Fig. 6, the throttle 23 is provided with as many ports 39 as there are engines, and consequently steam will pass directly into all of the engines simultaneously, no matter what the position of the cut-0E valves 31 32 may be, and hence all pistons will be subjected to the full head of pressure for starting the engine or running it when suddenly subjected to an extra heavy load. It would not be a departure from my invention, however, to set one of the direct throttleports 39 slightly in advance of the other, so that by a turn of the throttle 23 to one position one engine would bethrown in direct and by a slightly further turn the other engine would be placed in direct communication with the steam-chest.

Fig. 8 is a section through the ports which supply one engine, and Fig. 10 is a section through the ports which supply the other engine, the port for driving the engine in one direction-forwardly,for exam ple--bein g nu rnbered 39 in both instances, while the ports for driving the engine in the opposite direction are indicated at 39 in both instances and are adapted when the valve 23 is properly set to place the ports 22 in the steamchest of both engines in communication, respectively, with the steam-passages 26 27.

40 represents the ports in valve 23, which place the steam-chest 2O in communication with the steam-passages 24 26, which lead to the cut-olf valves 31 32, Fig. 7 being a crosssection through the port 40 for one engine and Fig. 9 being a similar section of the cor-V responding port for the other engine.

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 show the relative positions of the various ports for starting the engine and for running it with the cut-oi' valve, and by comparison of these figures it will be seen that when the valve is turned toward the right, for example, to bring port 39 into register with port 22 and passage 25 the engine will be started by direct pressure through the inlet 30, and if the rotation of the valve be continued in the same direction port 29 will eventually be cut out, while port 40 will be placed in communication with passage 24 and port 22, the latter, if desired, being in the form of a continuous slit in the bottom 0f steam-chest 20, extending throughout the IOO IIO

Igc

length of valve 23, so as to be common to all of the ports therein. Hence it will be seen that after the engine has been started by direct pressure and before the direct pressure is entirely cut offit will receive steam through passage 24 via the cut-off valve 3l or 32, ac-

cording to the direction in which the engine is started. The valve 23 may be provided with a handle or lever 4l for thus manipulating it, and in order that the position of the valve may be determined and the valve set where desired the lever is provided with a locking-dog 42 and actuating-handle 43,which dog engages notches 44 in a fixed segment 45, the notches being so disposed that when the dog is in engagement with them the ports in the valve 23 will be in their proper positions for registering with the ports and passages with which they correspond. The cut-off valves 3l 32 are preferably of cylindrical form, and each is provided with a number of ports 46 47, corresponding in number to the number of engines employed, port 46 for supplying one engine being set at an angle to port 47 for supplying the other engine, and the outer ends of the valves being equipped with gear-wheels 48 49, which are in mesh with a pinion 50 on main shaftl and are so proportioned with the pinion that the ports 46 47 will alternately place the passages 24 25 in communication with their respective engines through the inlet-ports 29 as soon as the lower corner of the outer end of the piston passes the upper end of the abutment, and they cut off such supply through the inlet-ports 29 at any point determined on by the manufacturer for best utilizing the expansive force of the pressure.

The abutments 36 37 may be hinged in the Wall of the cylinder in any suitable way. They are shown with enlarged journals 5l, set into complementary sockets in the wall of the cylinder, the construction being such that when the head 3 of the casing is removed the journals 51 may be slipped into their sockets endwise. In order that the steam or pressure may not pass from the lports 29 30 around the journals 5l, each of the abutments is formed or provided with a wing 52 of the same width as the abutment struck on an arc concentric with the center of oscillation of the abutment and fitting in a socket 53, formed in the casing, and engaging with the outer or concentric face of this wing is a packing-bar 54, which has a T-head 55, set in a complementary socket in the casing and resting against one or more springs 56, recessed in the casing for holding the bar 54 continually against the face of wing 52. In order that there may be no suction created by the movement of wing 52 in its socket 53, the journal 5l is provided with a peripheral channel 57, which is in communication with the exhaust 28 via duct 58 and with the socket 53 via duct 59. In order that steam may not pass the ends of the abutments, each is provided in each end with packingbars 60 6l, the latter of which extends downwardly along a portion of the wing 52 and is of sufficient length to be continually below packing-bar 54. When the pressure is turned on as the piston is about to rise past the upper end of the abutment, it Will be seen that the abutment exerts a pressure against the vpiston which tends to revolve it and which is vthe surface of the abutment down to that point on the wing 52 Where it contacts With its packing-bar 54. In other words, the steam pushes against the abutment and the abutment pushes against the piston and tends to rotate it until the piston arrives at that position Where the abutment no longeracts against its inclined face. By this combination of revolving piston and 'hinged abutment therefor the eciency of the pressure is greatly multiplied. It is also seen that by the employment of the curved Wings 52 the steam-space Within the cylinder is considerably reduced, because Without such wings the steam-space would extend down to the journal 51.

The tWo ports 40 for the two engines, respectively, maybe so relatively set in the valve 23 that one engine may-be run independently of the other one, or, in other words, so that the second engine Will not be thrown in until the first one has been thrown in and the first onewill remain in while the valve is being turned to throw the second one in.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine the combination of a revolving piston,a cylinder therefor having inlet and exhaust ports, a hinged abutment vrecessed in the wall of the cylinder and having a ,curved projection, a socket in which said projection fits and means connecting said socket with the exhaust for venting said socket and preventing suction therein, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine the combination of a revolving piston having a T-shaped socket therein, a T-shaped packing-bar located in said socket, a cylinder for said piston having `inlet and exhaust ports and a hinged abutment recessed in the Wall of the cylinder between said ports, substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary engine the combination of a revolving piston, a shaft on which 'said piston is secured, a conical expansible packingring recessed in the face of the piston around said shaft, a packing-bar having a beveled end recessed in the same face of the piston l'OO IZO

and engaging under said packing-ring and a packing-bar recessed in the outer face of the piston and coperatively related to said first packing-bar, a cylinder' and an abutment for said piston, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder having two inlet-ports ou the same side, a piston in said cylinder, means for admitting pressure to the cylinder through said ports independently, a cut-oit valve for controlling one of said ports operatively connected with said piston and a check-valve located in the other one of said ports for preventing the escape of pressure from the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder having two inlet-ports on the sanne side, a piston in said cylinder, a throttle-valve having separate ports for said inlet-ports, respectively, relatively arranged to ad mit pressure to said inlet-ports successively and means operatively related to the piston for cutting od the pressure through one of said inletports at every revolution of the piston, substantially as set forth.

6. In a rotary engine the combination of a plurality of cylinders each having an inletport, a throttle-valve common to both of said ports and having separate passages therefor respectively, relatively arranged to communicate with said ports successively, whereby pressure will be admitted to said cylinders in succession, substantially as set forth.

7. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder having two inlet-ports on the same side, a throttle common to both of said ports having independent ports or passages for said first ports respectively, so relatively arranged as to communicate with said rst ports successively, a piston and a cut-off valve operatively related to said piston for controlling the pressure passing through one of said inlet-ports, substantially as set forth.

8. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports,- a revolving piston in said cylinder, a hinged abutment recessed in the Wall of the cylinder between said ports and having a curved Wing or projection, a packing bearing upon said curved Wing or projection ata point between it and said inlet-port and a packing in the side of said abutment and projection extending across the point of contact between said tirst packing and the projection, substantially as set forth.

NEWTON S. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, P. E. BARNES. 

